We have studied, in past weeks, practical instructions for righteous behavior in the assemblies of God. Apostle Paul wrote letters to a mixed assembly of Jews and Gentiles at Corinth; new converts, being young in the faith, and older, more seasoned members in the faith of Jesus Christ. The assembly was having problems with division, worldly sinful behaviors within and how to cope with non-believers. Satan, still deceiving and causing many to be deceived, kept many believers from becoming aware of such sinful practices and how they should avoid those who practice such. We know 7 ... the mystery of lawlessness doth already work: 2 Thessalonians 2:7 ASV. Paul wanted to bring the assembly at Ccorinth into understanding and to follow Spiritual practices, but the power of Satan still overcame them and they could not understand Spiritual lessons.
Deception is the work of Satan. If he can get assumed righteous men to teach deceit, many foolish men will believe such deceit; thus, become condemned and be judged for their unbelief and their desire not for the truth.
This passage, 1 Corinthians 7, deals with marriage and the belief or non-belief of its participants in God, Jesus the Christ, and the Holy Spirit. It deals with a society of which promiscuity was a regular part of their lives. Remember the vast majority of believers and pupils in Corinth were Gentiles. The law of God and marriage was not given to them nor their ancestors. So, Paul needed to clarify some things the congregation at Corinth had previously questioned. 1 Cor. 7:1. 7 Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me:
We know the law of God concerning marriage to be thus: 24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. Genesis 2:24. Also, we know Moses allowed a writ of divorce to Israel, but God did not desire that manner of marital living. 8 He [Jesus] saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so. Matthew 19:8. Divorce was not so from the beginning. God actually hates divorce. Mal. 2:16. KJV. 16 For the Lord, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away:
Knowing these things, let us keep them in mind, yet, if we can see anything different in this teaching than we have heard, let us examine it thoroughly and accept this teaching by Apostle Paul. 2 Timothy 3:15-16. 16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. ‘ALL’, therefore we must find consistency in all scripture to find the truth. Once found, we must abide by the truth.
1 Corinthians chapter 7 beginning at verse 1. 7 Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman. 2 Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.
As we studied last week, fornication was a normal pattern of life in Gentile people. To curtail the problem and sinfulness of fornication, Paul says that marriage can avoid the sin of fornication. Every man and woman should have their own spouse. Keeping faithful to your own spouse will curtail the desire for fornication. (vs. 2)
However, ‘It is good, or better, for a man not to touch a woman’. (We will see and understand more of this phrase a little later, but for now) If this be an absolute, man could not fulfill the word of God from the beginning. Genesis 1:28. 28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. God has placed within mankind the desire to become fruitful and multiply which means a man must touch a woman—but only his wife. Therefore, to avoid fornication, let each have their own spouse.
Again, Paul, speaking of fornication—touching a woman for pleasure; (any and perhaps all women) is saying man is taking away his desire to please God and pleasing himself. Paul explains that in verse 2: 2 Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband. Marriage confirmed by God is one man and one woman. Each to each other. They are now one flesh in the eyes of God. (Gen 2:24)
Let us pick up in verse 3. 3 Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband. 4 The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife. 5 Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.
With a world of fornication being the norm, Paul explains how man and woman can fulfill their sexual desires properly in the eyes of God. As a husband and wife; one flesh—they can accomplish their desires one to another righteously. Fornication is therefore a new law of sin to these new converts (believers) in Corinth. For these Gentiles, who had not the Law of God, to avoid fornication, are to have a spouse.
In each marriage, each party is required to fulfill their matrimonial duties regularly to defuse the need for fornication with another; that with which Satan will tempt mankind who cannot maintain self-control. (incontinency–vs. 5) Remember the reason given to avoid fornication, the act of sexual pleasure with another, is to be married. If the couple does not fulfill their responsibilities to their spouse as designed by God for the marriage, one party may seek pleasure elsewhere and violate the marriage vow to their spouse. This results in sinfulness, and perhaps, both parties are guilty of sin; one who does the fornicating and the other for not fulfilling their marital duties to their spouse as commanded by God.
Notice also: the need to separate husband and wife for a short time, that is, not allowing the sexual act of love to be performed, is for a purpose, ‘that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again,’ (vs. 5) This purpose was for giving of one’s self to God in a worshipful manner and for a set period of time. This was a ceremonial act of Jews in their personal worship to God; an act formerly commanded by God for them. Metaphorically today, we are to meditate on the word of God and give ourselves to the study of his word. We do not call it fasting; denial of food and drink for a period. Yet prayer, daily, is our Godly recommended practice.
So, our duty to our spouse is fulfilled, and our duty to God is fulfilled, in like manner. Therefore, fornication and/or adultery is avoided in all believers.
Pick up in verse 6. 6 But I speak this by permission, and not of commandment. 7 For I would that all men were even as I myself. But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that. 8 I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, it is good for them if they abide even as I. 9 But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn.
Here we see Paul’s beginning of the explanation not to touch a woman. Paul was a non-married preacher. Vs. 8. To not touch a woman was to allow full time diligence to God. ‘It is good for them to abide even as I.” Paul will finish his reasoning in vss. 32-35. We will touch on that later.
Paul tells us he has permission from the Holy Spirit to write this request. (REMEMBER: all scripture is given by the inspiration of God...) It is for the good of man to devote himself to one purpose; obeying his Master, God. However, not all men have been given the same talents or gifts from God. We have seen before; the Holy Spirit knows the necessities for every believer and every congregation of believers. He administers the gifts as needed for each occasion. In the events of marriage, the same is administered by God through his Holy Spirit for the good of the family.
Paul’s teaching, by permission of the Holy Spirit, is for the unmarried, including widows who are no longer married, to remain unmarried if they can control themselves. if fornication becomes an issue, then they need to marry to avoid that sinfulness.
Verse 9 is misunderstood due to lack of knowledge and refusal to understand. Many have bound their ideas on everyone else, not knowing what they say nor caring to learn. Let’s look at the truth in defining the Greek language as we have understanding by those who know the language. Let us look at the phrase ‘to burn’. This phrase ties directly to the term ‘contain’. (also, vs. 9)
Strong’s Lexicon defines ‘to burn’ as a passive verb—to be on fire, to burn: to be inflamed with sexual desire; as in 1 Cor. 7:9. Therefore, the NIV reads vs. 9 as: 9 But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion. This is not what many have wrongfully defined as ‘burning in hell’. Here, we can see false teaching by misunderstanding. Yet, this has caused many to deny the Faith because of the judgmentalism of so many. They have believed a lie and caused others to believe a lie; and, have caused many to deny the faith and not accept Christianity.
What does one do who ‘burns with passion’? They seek a means to remove the sexual desire. Satan causes them to seek a willing partner to take care of the worldly passion. Paul tells us God wants us to control our worldly desires; the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye and the pride of life. For one who cannot control themselves, (vs. 9 says contain) it is called incontinency. This can become a very difficult problem to control; but a righteous person must try.
So, can we say this passage condemns one to Hell? (to burn?) Can we say one found under the power of incontinency is bound to hell and there is no forgiveness? I have heard many in the church say this is so. Where do they have a right to condemn someone to hell? Only God has the right to condemn one to eternal hell. The teaching is to use marriage in its proper manner especially to avoid fornication. Fornicators shall not enter heaven; there is no place for them there. But, God shall judge.
As we conclude this lesson so far today, let me show you something we perhaps do not remember. Hebrews 13:4. 4 Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge. We do not have a right to judge anyone to hell. We cannot say what I have heard from so many fellow church members over my lifetime in church. ‘Adulterers God will judge’. I do not need to waste time doing so.
Let me point out once more a passage concerning fornicators (whoremongers) and adulterers. In 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, as we studied last week, a long list of sins are mentioned which shall keep one from eternal life in heaven. Are we any different than the assembly at Corinth which Paul is addressing concerning these sins? Paul says in verse 11, 11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. God has forgiven us our sexual iniquities; and forgotten them—PAST REPENTANT SINS.
Not only were those in Corinth fornicators and adulterers, being Gentiles, but Paul is speaking to us as well, being Gentiles. ‘And such were some of you’, (us, we). ‘but ye are washed, sanctified and justified in the name of Christ Jesus by the Spirit of our God’. One who believes, repents and says I will not do this any longer, confesses Christ and is baptized, finds that all their past sins have been washed away. Even if they were fornicators and adulterers in their past, they have been forgiven and those sins forgotten.
What God has cleansed, let not man call unclean. Let not man bind any more upon them that God has not bound.
Therefore, the lesson is to avoid fornication. And the method is to marry a spouse. To keep the bed undefiled and to not burn with passion for sexual pleasure is to do due benevolence to your spouse. However, if you can remain pure unto God by not marrying and falling victim to fornication, live for God unmarried.
